Never Before, Never Again
by EvylNabikula
Summary: When the new D.A.D.A, Hermione, disappears, it's Ron to the rescue. Mysteryish-type story. Please r&r so I can improve.


Disclaimer: You know the deal. I don't own any of these characters. I don't want any kind of money or fame. I just felt like writing.  
  
This was written before OotP and is set a couple of years after the Gryffindor Trio graduate.  
  
Never Before, Never Again  
  
Ron Weasley didn't give it much thought when Hermione had stopped writing him a few weeks ago. Though they had stopped seeing each other months back, their arguments were worse than ever. It seemed to him that they were still in a romantic relationship. So he was used to Hermione not speaking to him.  
He was slightly puzzled when Harry said that he, too, had not heard one word from Hermione. He wrote this off to the fact that Harry was blamed in most of their squabbles by Ron, Hermione, or sometimes both, for taking sides, though he hadn't.  
Whenever Hermione's roommate, Neville, sent word back that Hermione hadn't been home in that same amount of time, he dropped everything.  
He left work, muttering an excuse about a family emergency and saying that he wasn't sure how long he would be away. The decision to drop by his house first before going on was an immeadiate on. He didn't want his mother to worry.  
She, predictably, had quite a bit to say on this subject. She was pleased that her son felt such a responsibility to his friends, but concerned that he felt the need to risk his job and career on such an uncertain relationship. Please contact the Ministry if there's anything wrong, but she's completely sure that there isn't and give her respects to Hermione.  
Ron didn't know how to answer her, so he just assured her that Hermione was capable of taking care of herself. He was about to say he was checking to reassure himself and probably apologize for something he didn't remember doing, when Harry's head appeared in the kitchen fireplace. "You alright, Ron?"  
"Yeah. You?"  
"I tried to get you at work, but they said you left because of a family emergency. Is everything okay?"  
Ron winced when Harry mentioned the fib and glanced at his mother.  
She crossed her arms and gave him The Look. "Is that what you told them? You know that is absolutely untrue!"  
"It's not completely untrue, Mum. Hermione's like family and this could be an emergency."  
Mrs. Weasley scoffed and went to mend clothes in the living room, muttering to herself.  
Harry frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
"Neville sent an owl saying that Hermione hadn't been home in about a month."  
Harry sat in silent thought for a moment. "That's about the time she stopped writing."  
Ron shrugged. "She's probably gone on holiday."  
"Without telling us? Without telling Neville? That's not like her."  
Ron had had the same thought, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Hermione had told him off several times for this habit. "Maybe she didn't want us to know where she'd gone."  
Harry snorted. "Unlikely. She'd have told Neville at least. And unless you'd had a new argument I don't know about, she'd forgiven us for your last one," he said, still pondering the news.  
"You know how she can be. I never know why she gets mad. She's always been a mystery to me."  
"Still, I don't think this is the case. She'd still tell Neville. And there's no way she'd leave so close to the start of the school term."  
Ron had no choice but to agree. Hermione lover her position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and took it very seriously. But then, she took everything seriously. "Well, I should find out when I get to Hogsmeade."  
Harry looked slightly puzzled. "But you sounded like there's nothing to worry about." He grinned. "You're going to check on her, then?"  
"Well, I figured if she didn't want us to know, for whatever reason, she wouldn't have told Neville, because he might tell us. But she'd at least tell Dumbledore or McGonagall."  
Harry smiled. "You know her better than you think." His face turned serious, as did his tone. "Let me know as soon as you find out anything. I've got to go." With that, his head disappeared.  
Ron smiled to himself. Harry sounded more and more like Sirius everyday. His fellow student had taken the death of his godfather hard. They all had. But Harry had come unglued.  
He was like anything Ron had ever seen. Ron had, at one point, no choice but to attack his best friend when it was clear Harry wasn't willing to tell his friends from his enemies.  
Ron winced at the memory and finished packing. He wasn't sure how long this would take. He kissed his mother good-bye and disapparated.  
"The only way to travel," he thought as he appeared outside the small house rented by Hermione when school was out and Neville year-round. The clever brunette was too cautious to allow for unwarranted pop-ins.  
He tried the door. Locked. He scowled. Ron should have known. After he was satisfied that his bags were successfully hidden, he walked to the main street of Hogsmeade. Neville owned a small shop of basic supplies.  
Assorted scrolls, quills, ink, scales, etc. lined the dusty shelves. Longbottom was sweeping just inside the door when Ron stepped in. Neville smiled and nodded at Ron. "How are you , Ron? You alright?"  
Ron returned the nod. "I'm alright. You, then?" "I'm well, thanks." "You look it....Have you lost weight?"  
Neville's smile became a sheepish grin. "A little."  
They stood silently. The boys had been good enough friends in school, but had since lost touch a little. They didn't have much in common. Ron glanced around the shop, swinging his arms while Neville seemed intent on the ceiling just above Ron's head.  
Ron cleared his throat. "Listen, Neville. Did Hermione say anything about being mad at me just before she left?"  
Neville frowned and shook his head.  
"Well, did she mention wanting to go on holiday?" Again, Neville shook his head. "No, I don't think so."  
"It's okay if she said she didn't want Harry or me to know. I just want to know she's alright."  
"I'd let you know if she'd said anything like that. Really, I would, but she didn't say a word." Neville was looking at Ron sympathetically. "I would, you know."  
Ron sighed and nodded. "I'm going up to the school to talk with someone. I hid my bags in your bushes. Would you mind taking them in when you go home?"  
Neville assured him he would and Ron left, hoping he could find someone at the school. Ron felt strange walking the empty corridors. It had been one year since he last crept along these halls with Harry and Hermione, hoping not to happen across anyone. No, that's not right. The last time they crept along the halls, they were being followed and hoped they could find help.  
He walked along to the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office. He had been so lost in memories, he walked right into it before realizing where he was. Cursing softly and rubbing his nose, he looked up and down the hall. No one.  
He looked back at the gargoyle. The passwords! He didn't know the password. "Dumbledore's a nutter." Ron said to himself. "He'd probably have something like....'smelly troll' or 'toe nail carvings' or 'stripping fairy tramps'."  
"I beg your pardon?!" said a voice behind him.  
Ron turned around with a sheepish look on his face. Minerva McGonagall was standing a few feet away, looking back at him sternly, but her eyes widened after she recognized him. "Ron Weasley? What on Earth are you doing here?"  
Ron hesitated. "Well, Hermione has seem to have....gone off without telling anyone." He knew it sounded absurd the moment he said it, so he added, "I was wondering if maybe she told you or some one else where she'd gone." Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "She did not." She suddenly gave a tut and shook her head. "There is much needed to be done without one our teachers disappearing a week before the start of the term. I suppose I have no choice but to contact Severus." "Snape?!" Ron exclaimed. "What's he got to do with this?" "We'll want to make sure we have someone to cover the class, won't we?"  
"But, I thought he retired after the war!" McGonagall sighed in a way that Ron remembered very well, whether he wanted to or not. It was a sigh that she had used in class with Ron often in class and Neville many times more. It was a sigh that told them 'wasn't the answer obvious?' "He is partially retired. He has made himself readily available should we need a replacement."  
"Is that so?" Ron asked, his mind racing. He was trying very hard not to jump to conclusions, but this was straining his will power. "Well, it seems you have quite a bit to do. I wouldn't mind delivering the message myself." He said in a way which he hoped was casual. "Don't be absurd, Mr. Weasley. I'll simply send it by owl post."  
"Only you're so busy and this way I could talk to him about something."  
McGonagall studied him for a moment. "You know where he lives?" Ron grimaced. "Of course not. Snape was not a person Ron willingly contacted. "Er, no. But maybe you could tell me?" McGonagall was obviously not convinced. Ron knew better than to hold his breath. The mutual loathing between his former Potions master and himself wasn't exactly a well kept secret. He needed to play up his excuse. "If you'd rather use post...But my Mum has this problem with garden gnomes and I was wanting to see if he had a useful potion for that. But I can just wait and ask during the school year. Except I really didn't want to interrupt or anything. I imagine he'll have enough on his hands, trying to prepare a class he's only taught for a short time on so little notice."  
"You're babbling, Mr. Weasley." She stood silently for a few moments. "Though I have my doubts, there is likely no harm." Ron held back a relieved sigh.  
McGonagall reached into her robes and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. She glanced at Ron as she was writing. "I dare say, you won't find out the information you're looking for." Ron said nothing.  
She finished writing and handed the parchment to Ron. "Do let me know if Professor Granger decides to reappear." With that, she turned and walked back down the hall. It wasn't that Ron didn't want to visit Snape. It was just that he'd rather have his teeth filed. Very slowly. By a bad-tempered dementor. Who's hungry. So he decided to talk the issue over with Harry before he went.  
Harry listened silently as Ron explained what little he had found out. Neville, whose fireplace Ron was using to contact Harry, interrupted several times with questions. "McGonagall was there? Doesn't she ever leave?" "I thought he quit." "You're not really going over are you? I wouldn't do that for lifetime passes to the Quidditch World Cup."  
Harry's head frowned. "That does seem odd," he said slowly.  
"Odd? Harry, this isn't odd. Snape makes himself available for any related 'replacements' and then a professor disappears? Not just any professor, the one who just so happens to be teaching the class that most wanted. No, that's not odd. It makes perfect sense." Ron ignored the voice in his head that sounded like Hermione. "Ron Weasley! Don't you dare imply that he's behind this. You're not even sure there's anything to be behind." Harry seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "I doubt he has anything to do with Hermione's disappearance. I know he wants the job badly enough, but..." He glanced at Neville and then back to Ron. "Besides, 'Mione would know to watch for him."  
Ron snorted. "Not her. She still thinks teachers can do no wrong. Purposely anyway. Even after all we went through in school. And it's worse since she became a teacher herself." Harry shrugged. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out. It seems like the only possibility we've got." Ron grimaced. "It looks like I've got to visit him, one way or another."  
"Just be careful what you say," Harry advised. 


End file.
